Load-transfer apparatus.



T. S. MILLER.

LOAD TRANSFER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

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T. S. MILLER.

LOAD TRANSFER APPARATUS.

APPLICAUON FILED MAR. 14. 1914.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

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T. S. MILLER.

LOAD TRANSFER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1914.

L167,586. Patented Ja11.11, 1916.

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T. S. MILLER.

LOAD TRANSFER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, I914.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

THOIVIAS SPENCER MILLER, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

LOAD-TRANSFER APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 111, 1916.

Application filed March 14, 1914. Serial No. 824,590.

b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Srnn GER MIL- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Orange, in the county of Essex and. State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Load- Transfer Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in load transfer apparatus, and particularly contemplates improved means for transferring divided material, such as coal, from a carrying vessel to a point outboard thereof; for instance, another vessel, or a dock or wharf, or to load the carrying Vessel from such other vessel, dock or wharf.

The invention particularly contemplates a system employing an opening and closing bucket operated by holding and closing lines, and the object is to provide such a system which will be more simple in construction than systems for the same purpose heretofore known, which may be installed at less expense, operated with less power, and which will be of less weight than previously known systems.

A further object is to provide a system in which the number of sheaves and pulleys will be reduced tov a minimum, thereby re ducing the wear on the ropes of the system, and the amount of power necessary to operate them.

The invention consists in the improvements to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken as a part of this specification and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in transverse section of a vessel supporting my improved system, the latter being shown in front elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of one end of a boom showing the arrangement of the sheaves and rope leads. Fi 4 is a view in front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 3, the load carriage and bucket being shown at one extreme end of their travel. Fig. 5 is a plan view. of a power-operated hoisting drum for operating the holding line for the load bucket. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the drum shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a hoisting engine for operating the carriage traversing lines and the closing line for the bucket. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the engine shown in Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a sheave block employed. Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view of the system of rope leads employed.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference: A designates a vessel having a hold from which it is desired to dispense or unload divided material, such as coal, to another vessel, wharf or dock, the deck of the vessel A being shown at B, through which deck are one or more hatchways C through which the material is passed in either loading or unloading the vessel A. The specific construction of this vessel A orms no part of my invention and, as illustrated, is merely shown diagrammatically.

Arranged on the deck B between the hatchways C, C, is an elevated structure or tower 1, the construction of which may be varied in accordance with the conditions of use to which it is put. This tower may consist of vertical base standards 2 connected by cross girders 3, and from which standards extend inwardly-inclined corner irons or beams 4 extending upward to the desired height. These corner irons or beams are braced by cross tie-rods 5, or in any other suitable manner.

Pivotally supported on two of the standards 2 adjacent the hatchway are, respectively, oppositely extending booms 6, 6, the pivotal connection with said standards being shown at 7. The outer ends of these booms preferably extend upward and are supported by guys 8 connecting their outer ends with the upper end or head of the tower 1. The booms are respectively held against lateral. swing by means of guys 9 connected to their outer ends and to a convenient point on the deck, as at 10. These booms are of such length and are so posi tioned that they extend in opposite directions, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with their outer ends outboard and located substantially on a line extending transversely of the vessel through the hatchways. It will be understood that each tower struc ture may sustain four booms arranged in pairs, each pair extending over the hatchways in front and rear of the tower, respectively, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Extending transversely of the vessel over the hatchway and connected at its ends to the ends of the booms 6, 6, is a track or main cable 11, the ends of said cable being anchored or secured to the booms in any suitable manner. hlounted on this cable to travel lengthwise thereof, and sustained thereby, is a load carriage 12 having traction rollers or sheaves 13 to travel on the main cable and also provided with guide sheaves 14, 15, 15, respectively, for the holding and closing ropes of the bucket, which will be described hereinafter. Connected at one end, to one side of the carriage, as at 16, is a traversing rope 17 which extends from the carriage in a direction parallel to the main cable and'is carried over a sheave 18 forming part of a double sheave block 19 hung at the outer end of the boom 6. This line 17 extends over said sheave 18, thence to a guide pulley 20 supported on the tower 1, and then to a winding drum 21, the function and operation of which will be more fully described presently. Connected to the opposite side of the carriage from that to which the rope 17 is connected, as at 22, is one end of a traversing rope 23 which passes from its point of connection to the carriage in a direction opposite to the rope 17 to the end of the opposite boom, where it passes around a sheave 24: of a double sheave block 25 anchored at the end of said boom. From said sheave 2% the rope 23 passes over a guide pulley 25 mounted 011 the tower, whence it is carried to the said drum 21 and is wound thereon in a direction opposite to the rope 17. The arrangement is such that when the drum 21 is revolved in one direction the line 17 is paid out and the line 23 taken up, thereby traversing the carriage along the main cable in one direction while, when the drum is driven in the other direction, the line 17 is paid out and the line 23 wound on the drum, thereby traversing the carriage in the opposite dircction. It will be understood that when the drum is held stationary the carriage is held at a fixed point on the main cable.

Fixed at one end to one of the booms 6, as at 26, is a holding line 27 which passes from the point at which it is secured, thence about a sheave 15 on the carriage, around the sheave 28 of a block 2-9 of an opening and closing bucket 30, over the sheave 1a on the carriage, and thence over the sheave 31 of the double sheave block '25, which is supported at the end of the opposite boom. From this sheave the holding rope passes over a guide pulley 32 on the tower, and down to a drum 38 of a winding engine. It will be seen that by the arrangement described the holding rope is provided with a. bight or loop depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is suspended, and that this bight may be taken up 01' paid out according to whether the bucket is being raised or lowered. This holding line may also be held, when the bucket is in the up permost position, as shown in Figs. 4' and 10, when the carriage is being traversed to and from on the main cable.

Passing over a sheave 15 on the carriage and which may be arranged to rotate on the same axis as the sheave 15 is a closing line 3% for the opening and closing bucket, one end of said line depending from the carriage and being wound on the reel of the bucket mechanism, which controls the opening and closing of the bucket. From the bucket and carriage the closing line passes lengthwise of the main cable and over the sheave 36 of the double sheave block 19 at the end of the boom to which one end of the holding rope is anchored. From this block the closing line runs to a drum 37 preferably mounted on the same shaft with the drum 21, heretofore described, meansbeing provided whereby the closing line drum, and the traversing line drum may run independently or be interlocked to run together, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The drum 21 for operating the traversing lines 17 and 23, and the drum 37 for operating the closing line may be both mounted upon the same shaft 38, the former being free to revolve on the shaft while the latter is keyed to the shaft to turn. therewith. The drum 37 carries, fixed thereto, a gear 39 which meshes with the pinion 10 mounted on and turning with a power shaft 41, said power shaft having on its ends crank disks adapted to be driven by piston rods (not shown) operated by the pistons of engine cylinders 43, said engine cylinders being provided with any desirable type of reversing means such as a valve 4% for controlling the flow of steam thereto and for reversing the piston movement so as to drive the shaft 41 in either direction. The drum 21 carries a gear 15 which meshes with a pinion 46 loose on the shaft 41, said pinion a6 carrying a friction clutch member 47 adapted to be engaged by a cooperating friction clutch member 418 splined to the shaft 4:1 and adapted tobe moved into engagement with said member 47 to connect the pinion ac to said driving shaft to thereby drive the drum 21 through the gear 15. By this arrangement it will be seen that the drum for the closing line may be driven either to take up or pay out said closing line for the purpose of clos ing and hoisting the bucket, and for lowering the bucket and permitting the same to open when the holding line is held stationary. It will also be seen that by connecting the drum 21 to the driving shaft l-l through the gearing and clutch connection described, said drum may be interlocked with the drum for the closing line so that the traversing line 17 will be taken up'to traverse the carriage and load to the boom 6 during which operation the drum 87 will be driven at equal speed with drum 21 to take up the closing line so that the bucket will be held closed. lVhen the load is to be traversed in the opposite direction, it is only necessary to reverse the direction of rotation of the shaft 41, under which conditions the line 23 will be taken up and the lines 17 and 34- paid out.

The clutch member 457 is provided with a friction brake surface 47* with which cooperat-es the members 47 of a post brake operated in any suitable manner from a brake shaft 4L8 journaled in the frame. This brake is operable to hold the pinion 46 against rotation when the latter is disconnected from the shaft 4-1, and thereby-hold the drum 21 stationary so that the traversing lines 17 and 23 hold the carriage stationary on the main cable.

The drum 33 for the holding line is mounted on a shaft- T9 carrying crank disks 5O driven from piston rods connected to the pistons of engine cylinders 51, said engine cylinders being provided with proper control and reversing valve 52, which will permit the drum to be driven in either direction. The drum is provided with a suitable brake operated from a power cylinder 5i through lever connections in order that said brake may be applied, said brake being automatically moved to release position by a weight 56 on the brake shaft, when pres sure in the cylinder 5 is relieved. This rope drum engine for operating the holding line is intentionally made of a power insuf ficient to lift the loaded bucket, and preferably of a maximum power less than the maximum power of the engine for operating the closing line drum, the purpose being to prevent the holding line rope engine taking up the holding rope faster than the closing rope, which would result in the unintentional opening oft-he bucket and consequent spilling of the load. By constructing the holding rope engine of a power insufficient to lift the load, an automatic check is put upon the operator, as it is impossible for him to operate this engine at a speed suflicient to overtake the closing line and permit the latter to be slackened enough to cause opening of the bucket. The holding line engine may be under-powered so as to have insuflicient strength for lifting the loaded bucket at all, or it may have suflicient power to lift the bucket very slowly, but in any event the power should be insuiiicient to permit the holding line drum to be driven in such. manner as to permit slack in the closing line while the latter is being wound up in lifting the loaded bucket. It will be understood that the engines for the holding lineand the closing line drums are so constructed or designed as to bring about this result, whichmay be done mechanically in a number of ways within the scope of my invention, but I prefer to accomplish the re sult by making the cylinders for the closing line engine of greater dimensions than these for the holding line. a In one contemplated installation the dimensions of the cylinders for the holding line en 'ine may be 7 inches by 10 inches, while, for the closing line drum, they might be inches by 10 inches, for example.

The parts being as above described, the operation of the invention during a working cycle is as follows: Assuming that the bucket has been lowered through the hatchway into the hold and isstationary about three or four feet above the cargo to be transported by the bucket, the operator would keep his foot on the operating lever of the post brake 7 controlling the pinion clutch and, as stated, would thereby hold the drum for the traversing rope stationary and the carriage stationary at the desired point on the main cable. During these conditions the holding line drum brake would be applied to the drum 33 to hold the holding line. The operator would then operate the valve for the closing line drum to run the drum 37 to permit the closing line to be paid out and the bucket thereby opened, and then would permit the holding line drum to pay out sufiicient rope to permit the open bucket to drop on the pile of material. The operator then reverses the steam on the engine for the closing line drum to take up the closing line, which causes the bucket to be closed upon its load and slowly lifted. As soon as the bucket starts to lift, power is applied to the holding line drum which will operate to take up the holding line and both engines will then combine their power to raise the bucket at high speed. During this operation it will be understood that the power of the holding drum engine is never sufficient to lift the load faster than the closing line, so that the weight of the bucket is always exerted on the closing line sutficiently to insure the bucket remaining closed. hen the bucket arrives at the carriage both engines are stopped and the operator releases the brake on the pinion clutch for driving the traversing line drum and operates the clutch to connect said pinion to the shaft 4-1. This op eration interlocks the drums 21 and 37 which are then operable to convey the carriage and load in either direction at high speed, the direction of rotation of the drums being controlled by the reversing valve controlling the fiow of steam to the engine cylinders. This operation is possible because, when the drums are interlocked, the whole power of the engine is available for conveying the carriage load, whereas the maximum duty for this operation does not amount to more than from one-third to one-half of that of which the engine is capable. Upon arriving at either end of the cable span the operator releases the pinion 46 from the shaft 41 and applies the brake thereto, thereby holding the traversing line drum and maintaining the carriage at the desired point on the cable. The operator then operates the closing line drum to lower the bucket, if it is not desired to open the same, the holding line being also paid out to permit the bucket to descend. If it is desired to dump the bucket without lowering it, the operator merely releases the closing line and holds the holding line, thereby causing the bucket to open. After the load has been delivered, the operator releases the brake on the pinion 46 for the traversing line drum and operates the friction clutch tocause both drums to be driven simultaneously, and then manipulates the engine valve to drive the drums in the proper direction to return the carriage along the cable to the point desired.

In accordance with my invention the engine for the closing line drum may be of sufficient power to lift the load at high speed, or the power may be such as to lift the load at a comparatively low speed, the desired high speed being attained by the combined lifting power of the holding line drum and the closing line drum.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a load transfer, incombination, a main cable, a carriage movable along the main cable, a holding line anchored at one end of the main cable and having a bight depending from the carriage, an opening and closing bucket hung in the bight of the holding line, a closing line for the bucket, a power-operated drum for operating the closing line, and a power-operated drum for operating the holding line, the maxlmum power of said last-named drum being below the maximum power of the closing line drum.

2. In a load transfer, in combination, a main cable, a carriage movable along the main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line having a fixed end and one end wound on apower-operated drum, said holding line having a bight depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is suspended, a closing line for the bucket, a power-operated drum upon which the closing line is wound, traversing lines for the carriage, an operating drum for the traversing lines, and means for interlocking the closing line drum and the drum for the traversing lines.

3. In a load transfer, in combination, a main cable, a carriage movable along the main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line having a fixed end and one end wound on a power-operated drum, said holding line having a bight depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is suspended, a closing line for the bucket, a power-operated drum upon which the closing line is wound, traversing lines for the carriage, an operating drum for the traversing lines, means whereby said closing line drum may operate independently of said traversing. line drum, and means for interlocking said drums tocause them to operate together.

4. In a load transfer, in combination, a main cable, a carriage movable along the main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line having a fixed end and one end wound on a power-operated drum, said holding line having a bight depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is suspended, a closing line for the bucket, traversing lines for the carriage, a power-driven shaft, a drum for the closing line fixed to said shaft, a drum for the traversing lines loosely mounted on said shaft, and means whereby said closing line drum may be driven independently of and simultaneously with the traversing line drum.

In a load transfer, in combination, a main cable, a carriage movable along the main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line having a fixed end and one end wound on a power-operated drum, said holding line having a bight depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is sus pended, a closing line for the bucket, traversing lines for the carriage, a shaft, a drum for the closing line fixed to said shaft, a drum for the traversing lines loosely mounted on said shaft, a power-driven shaft geared to the closing line dru1n,a pinion loose on said last-named shaft and geared to the drum for the traversing lines, and a clutch connecting said pinion with and disconnecting it from the power-shaft.

6. In a load transfer, in combination, a main cable, a carriage movable along the main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line having a fixed end and one end wound on a power-operated drum, said holding line having a bight depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is suspended, a closing line for the bucket, traversing lines for the carriage, a shaft, a drum for the closing line fixed to said shaft, a drum for the traversing lines loosely mounted on said shaft, a power-driven shaft geared to the closing line drum, a pinion loose on said last-named shaft and geared to the drum for the traversing lines, a clutch connecting said pinion with and disconnecting it from the power-shaft, and a brake-co-- ope 'ating with said pinion.

7. In a load transfer, in combination, two supports, a main cable stretched between said supports, a carriage on said main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line fixed at one end to one of said supports and extending over a guide onthe other of said supports, and wound upon a poweroperated drum, said holding line having a bight depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is suspended, traversing ropes each connected to the carriage, and extending respectively over guides on said supports, a closing line connected to the bucket and extending over a guide on one of said supports, said traversing lines and closing line being wound on drums, and means for interlocking said drums and for operating one drum independently of the other.

8. In a load transfer, in combination, two supports, a main cable stretched between said supports, a carriage on said main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line fixed at one end to one of said supports and extending over a guide on the other of said supports, and wound upon a power-operated drum, said holding line having a bight depending from the carriage and in which the bucket is suspended, traversing ropes each connected to the carria e and extending respectively over guides on said supports, a closing line connected to the bucket and extending over a guide on one of said supports, drums upon which said traversing lines and closing line are wound, a shaft upon which said drums are mounted, a power shaft geared to one of said drums, and having a gear and clutch connection with the other of said drums.

9. In a load transfer apparatus, in combination, a main cable, a carriage on the main cable, an opening and closing bucket, a holding line extending over the carriage and supporting said bucket, a closing line for the uicket, a power-operated drum upon which the holding line is wound, and a power-operated drum upon which the closing line is wound, the maximum power of the holding line drum being less than the maximum power of the closing line drum.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS SPENCER MILLER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST PULsFonD, LOUIS G. RUGGLES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington 13.0. 

